Surface coverings, such as synthetic grass, carpet, linoleum, wood flooring, rubberized flooring system, and tile, need to be laid over a base that will support the surface covering. Commonly, surface coverings are laid over a base of compacted stone, asphalt, plywood, or cement. These base materials are expensive to install, and, once installed, are difficult to remove. Recreational surfaces frequently need to be moved to different locations because the same site is often used for different activities, such as an ice rink converted to a basketball court or concert stage. A need exists for an inexpensive, permanent or easily movable base surface or stand-alone floor surface that provides structural support while also providing adequate fall-height protection for athletes, animals, children, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,516,587 to Barlow describes an “Interlocking Floor System,” and is hereby incorporated by reference. This application describes polymeric panels that can be assembled into a floor system. Such panels are described as having an internal grid system beneath the surface for maintaining structure under the weight of people and objects.
Prior panels were either molded of a plastic material with a support structure (e.g. a grid) beneath the panels to provide rigidity or were formed entirely of foam or rubber; the latter were often used to cover sports fields, playgrounds, etc. Often the foam or rubber panels were made of polypropylene foam, polyethylene foam, or rubber, to help absorb the shock of a being impacting the surface.
What is needed is an interlocking panel that has the rigidity of plastic panels and the shock absorbing properties of foam or rubber panels.